


bowstring

by KiriKay



Series: belljars of time [2]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: (also this is like a little apology for ruining everyone's lives with ch16 of cat lol), Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, I JUST WANTED THEM BEING SWEET BOYFRIENDS, I WAS STRESSED AND WROTE THIS, Kissing, M/M, Self Indulgent As Fuck, reiji comes out for like....two whole seconds fyi thats it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 05:52:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13920747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiriKay/pseuds/KiriKay
Summary: There was a subtle art to soothing away someone's stress, comforting them on their off days, and washing their anger away; good thing nothing about Ranmaru was really subtle so Ai didn't have to be, either.





	bowstring

**Author's Note:**

> i decided i wanted to have fun, fuck it
> 
> this is set later on in he same universe as belljar, so ill eventually figure out how to clump those together
> 
> pls enjoy!

Ranmaru was  _ stressed _ . Just a  _ little _ stressed, though, it wasn’t much!

Ai doesn't buy what Ranmaru is selling at all. Stomping into the apartment probably doesn't help Ranmaru’s case.

Ai is on his laptop, and he doesn't quite jump when Ranmaru slams the door shut, but its a close thing. He watches Ranmaru shuck off his leather jacket, draping it over his arm moodily and brushing loose flakes of snow off of it. Those cyan eyes are too keen, Ranmaru decides tiredly, and he immediately drifts away into his room.

* * *

A non-confrontational Ranmaru was intrinsically  _ wrong _ , Ai is sure; the universe is off kilter if Ranmaru isn't at least being  _ annoying _ . Ai waits until he hears Ranmaru close his door, much quieter, and settle. Ai primly locks and shuts his laptop, and goes directly to the kitchen.

Pulling out an obscenely large mug, Ai starts on hot chocolate. Ai makes sure to use dark chocolate, because Ranmaru wasn't too partial to sweets but dark chocolate was an exception. While its heating in the microwave, Ai goes and stashes his laptop in his room and digs for a sweater. He’s already got a jacket on, but he's looking for something more comfortable for the journey he was about to undertake.

Ai finally decides on a thick, soft sweater dotted with white polka dots on a black fabric. The microwave beeps impatiently while Ai is shrugging it on.

He gives the drink a good mix, pours in some marshmallows, and sticks in a straw.

Squaring his shoulders, Ai makes his way to Ranmaru’s door and knocks.

* * *

Ranmaru can  _ hear _ Ai rustling around the apartment, and he resolutely tosses himself onto his bed and closes his eyes. It's hard to relax, his mind running in circles until he can burn the cycle into the darkness behind his eyelids.

Ai’s quiet but firm knocks makes Ranmaru peel an eye open.

“I'm coming in.” Ai says with no pretense, opening the door and stepping in with assured ease. Despite his mood, Ranmaru roves his eyes over Ai’s frame with fondness, the light from outside burning a halo all around his body.  _ Angel _ .

He notices the mug, and the smell of chocolate wafts over as Ai pads around Ranmaru’s bed to slide in next to him. He settles with his back against the headboard, stirring the mug with one of the colorful striped straws Reiji insists on buying. Ai takes a sip.

“I admit,” Ai starts, voice low and smooth. “I have learned to make possibly the  _ best _ cup of hot chocolate this place has ever seen.”

Ranmaru can't help his snort, and Ai’s lips curl into a smile. Delicately placing the mug on Ranmaru’s night stand, Ai resettles closer to him.

“But it's too hot right now to be enjoyable.” he admits, fingers fiddling with his sweater sleeves. “So you've got time to wait.”

“Mhm.”

Ranmaru doesn't make more noises, but he does roll over towards Ai. After a moment, Ai moves his anxious hands to Ranmaru’s head. Slim fingers smooth Ranmaru’s unruly hair back; they scratch from his forehead all the way to the back of his skull, pressure even and sweet. Ai gently maneuvers Ranmaru’s head onto his lap, free hand running up and down Ranmaru’s arm thoughtlessly.

They stay like that, Ai petting Ranmaru until his shoulders slump; the tension doesn't leave the space between his brows or the fists pressed against the covers, but it was a start.

“ ‘kay,” Ranmaru mumbles after a few minutes. “I'm ready for some hot chocolate.”

Ai hums and detangles himself from Ranmaru, fetching the mug as Ranmaru sits up. He rubs his eyes a little, and Ai passes the mug over patiently.

Ranmaru takes a sip, and  _ sighs _ .

“You're getting better with the whole  _ making edible food _ thing.” Ranmaru teases, no heat behind his words.

“I adapt.”

* * *

Ai settles against the backboard and watches Ranmaru through half lidded eyes. Ranmaru wasn't the most open about certain things, and Ai knew everyone reserved the right to be quiet about at  _ least _ one thing.

(Ai’s one  _ thing _ was a pretty  _ big _ thing, so Ai is  _ very _ understanding of the drag of apprehension that crosses Ranmaru’s face when he tries to talk about certain topics. It was the same look Ai got when he said things that were slightly-off, slightly-not-him, slightly-like-Aine.)

After a moment, Ai drops his head onto Ranmaru’s shoulder unceremoniously. He gently nuzzles his shoulder, hands curling into the sheets in wait. Waiting was always the best option for Ranmaru; he needed a patient hand, and Ai was made to be patient.

“You're like a cat.” Ranmaru mumbles, relaxing against the headboard. He thoughtlessly rubs his nose against the top of Ai’s head, hands warming against the mug.

Ai tilts his head up, eyes still shut, and they quietly drift together for a kiss. It’s slow and soft, and despite all its gentleness, Ai can feel how Ranmaru’s head is still swimming with thoughts. Ai had also become adept at reading Ranmaru’s moods over time, and Ai pets his cheek, slowing his thoughts a little.

“You should finish that before it gets cold.” Ai suggests after a minute, and Ranmaru grunts.

When he pulls away, Ai thinks he's won. He lays down on the bed proper, hoarding one of Ranmaru’s pillows to snuggle into, and closes his eyes in wait.

* * *

Ranmaru doesn't actually finish his hot chocolate. With less than a quarter left in the mug, he places it on his side table and sprawls out, rolling into Ai’s space obnoxiously. Ai just huffs and throws an arm around Ranmaru, fingertips tracing soothing circles around his back.

Ranmaru feels-- well, he feels conflicted, really. Tired. Keyed up. Flighty. Like a bag of bricks.

Instead of deciding to pay a lick of attention to any of that, Ranmaru decides to do what he does best: avoid the issue.

“Ai,” he says, and Ai diligently opens an eye to watch him.

“Yes?”

Ranmaru circles his arms around Ai, rolling on top of him. He lazily nuzzles Ai’s neck, brushing his nose against his jawline and dragging his lips over Ai’s cheek.

“You're trying to misdirect me.” Ai chides, hands drifting to Ranmaru’s shoulders.

Ranmaru just lets out a grunt, rumbled from the depths of his chest and rolling up his throat to tickle Ai’s skin. Ai turns his face away with a laugh.

“You can't avoid your problems, you know,” Ai says. “I know you too well.”

“Then you know what I'm doing whether or not you approve.”

Ai laughs again and Ranmaru kisses him, slightly pouting as he shuts Ai up. The habit had grown naturally-- if Ai was being obnoxious, Ranmaru would kiss him quiet, because if he didn't he’d end up laughing  _ with _ Ai. He had pride to save! When Ranmaru was being insufferable, Ai tried to just watch; it never really worked considering Ranmaru had the ineffable talent of riling Ai up at any time.

That's how things worked between them, though.

Fights were explosive, everything else was casual, and it worked for all that it shouldn't.

* * *

Ai  _ shouldn't _ facilitate Ranmaru’s avoidance, but it was hard not to indulge him when he was upset; Ai just wanted to find a way to make things better like nobody had ever really done for him.

(His head had called it projecting, projecting a need for support that had been denied, but Ai did  _ not _ particularly like that part of his head even after spending almost a decade with it.)

So Ai let them both indulge in quiet, sweet kisses, to see if he can flush out the apprehension that held on tight to Ranmaru like a vice. And maybe it wasn't all altruism on Ai’s part, but he'd never admit to having the base need of wanting to makeout with his boyfriend on occasion.

It was nice, though, really nice, because it was like a good kind of drowning. There was so much pent up within Ranmaru that spilled over his rough edges, and it was fascinating being the object of his interests. A little more than fascinating, really; Ranmaru was so dead-focused when he put his mind to it, and that focus often found itself right on Ai. He wasn't used to that kind of unique interest. It was sort of great. Confusing, but great.

Ai hears the front door fly open, Reiji’s lilting voice calling out a cheery, “I'm home!” from the living room. Ai huffs out a little breath, tapping at Ranmaru’s back rhythmically.

* * *

 

Ranmaru groans and rolls away, mourning the loss of a  _ very _ good makeout. Every makeout with Ai was good in his eyes, but still. 

Reiji was a  _ little bit _ protective of Ai. Just a tad. That meant that while he couldn't really  _ stop _ them from being together, he could be  _ really good _ at stopping them from being close while he was around. At this point, it was better to just stop what they were doing and wait Reiji out than have him walk in mid-kiss as he had a talent for doing.

Ai rolls into Ranmaru’s space again, resting his cheek on his shoulder and digging amongst the sheets for the TV remote. Reiji knocks on Ai’s door, then on Camus’s, both to no response, before moving onto Ranmaru’s.

“Ran-Ran~” he singsongs.

Ranmaru visibly steels himself as Ai opens Netflix up, expression flat but eyes dancing with mirth. Reiji’s protectiveness had never bothered Ai-- doctor Kisaragi was even  _ more _ protective, so Ai was quite used to it-- but it was funny to see Reiji act like he didn't know Ranmaru was the worst at being a stereotypical jerk boyfriend. He shoved umbrellas at Ai when the sky looked a  _ bit _ dark. He sat Ai down to eat countless times when he got lost in a new project. He had even taken Ai to the doctor’s lab once because of a little buzz, which had  _ incidentally _ won him the doctor's approval. Yes, Ranmaru was  _ terrible _ at the jerk boyfriend act for the most part.

“Yeah?”

Reiji opens up, smile bright, even as he notices Ai flicking through movies. It tightens a little around his eyes, but he's making a valiant effort considering  _ Ai _ is the one wrapped around Ranmaru for now.

“Good afternoon, Reiji.” Ai says, and Ranmaru grunts out his own greeting. “How was Ittoki?”

“. . .He was doing good! I met with Toki, too!” Reiji says. “What are you guys watching?”

“I was thinking of putting on  _ Saw _ .” Ai says casually, and Reiji balks. “Do you want to watch with us?”

“No! No, no, no thanks, I actually have plans, so I'll have to pass.” Reiji laughs nervously, shaking his head. “Have fun!”

With that, Reiji quickly shuts the door. Ranmaru rumbles out a laugh.

“He’s so squeamish.” Ranmaru lets out, not even trying to cover his humor as hell wraps his arm around Ai’s shoulders.

“Oh, I know. But really though, I want to watch  _ Joker Trap _ .”

“Oh no--”

“Oh yes,” Ai says simply as he clicks on the listing with a grin. “I haven't watched it yet and they put the recording up last night.”

“ _ You went to the first screening with us _ !”

“Maybe I just want to see my boyfriend contort like an idiot in a strangers bedroom.” Ai says primly, and Ranmaru groans and pulls him close for a searing kiss. Ai clicks the volume up and pulls away, undeterred. “And I  _ do _ always get what I want.”

“I spoil you way too much.” Ranmaru grumbles against Ai’s temple.

“Yes, yes you do,” Ai shoots back as the first scene opens. “And since you’ve effectively ruined me, you better take responsibility for it.”

“Whiny.”

“Honest.”

“ _ Demanding _ .”

“No argument.”

With that, Ai settles deeper into Ranmaru’s side and watches the movie diligently. Ranmaru drags his eyes over Ai’s profile slowly, seeing his jaw relax in the silence and eye focus almost exclusively on the TV.

“We’ll watch  _ Masquerade Mirage _ next.” Ranmaru says after a few minutes pass.

“Mm, because watching me steal is so interesting?”

“ _ Fascinating _ .”

Ai bats at his arm but doesn't say no, and Ranmaru finally relaxes into his bed.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hello on [tumblr](http://selenolatries.tumblr.com/) and talk 2 me abt ranai bc im obssessed lol


End file.
